The Former Ladies of The Supremes, carrying on the decades-long legacy of their origins, are bringing the “baby love” to Juneau.
The trio of women perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10 at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall.
FLOS first came to Juneau for a New Year’s Eve concert in 2021. Artists Scherrie Payne, Joyce Vincent and Susaye Greene performed. This year’s concert includes Payne, Vincent and Lynda Laurence.
“I’m just so happy to be returning to Juneau,” Payne said. “I’m really excited about it. I’m looking forward to not only the show, but having a tour, seeing more of the city. It’s such a beautiful place. We really didn’t get a chance to sightsee like we wanted to. So I’m just really excited. And maybe coming back another time after that.”
In 1986, Payne, Laurence and Jean Terrell — all former Supremes — reformed and decided to start a new group. Their vision was to rekindle the glamour, style and music of The Supremes, who rose to fame as an all-girls R&B group during the 1960s, according to the group’s online biography.
The Supremes topped the charts with 12 #1 smash singles and a total of 33 Top-40 hits along with the sales of 20 million singles. In 1988, The Supremes were inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and in 1994 The Supremes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
From left to right: Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne, formerly of The Supremes pose with The Supremes’ star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame 2024. (Photo courtesy of Eric Iversen)
Vincent was considered as a replacement for Mary Wilson. But instead the Motown record label chose to disband the group in 1977 because they didn’t want to continue without at least one original member. Instead, she replaced Terrel in 1993, joining FLOS.
Vincent said the songs of The Supremes bring back memories for many.
“When we go out on the road we’ve had people walk up to us with tears in their eyes,” Vincent said. “And they would say things like, ‘I remember where I was when this song first came out.’ Or, ‘I remember who I was with at that time.’ It’s emotional. A lot of people are really emotional about certain songs. And that’s really mind-blowing for me. Because I know I’m in my 70s.”
In the summer of 2017, after 31 years of performing alongside Payne, Laurence decided to leave the group. Payne asked former Supreme Greene to replace her. Greene stayed with the trio through June of 2024. Laurence has since returned from her hiatus.
“She’s been my Supreme sister for over 30 years,” Payne said. “Can you believe it? That’s amazing.”
FLOS have performed live in concert and appeared on TV shows throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Orient.
Even though they have seen much of the world, the trio said they couldn’t be more excited to perform in Alaska alongside their openers — Juneau-based Radiophonic Jazz, and East Coast artists Imara and Tonty.
It will be Laurence’s first time in Alaska. It’s been a lifelong dream of hers.
“The two places that I’ve wanted to go all of my life are Prague and Alaska,” she said. “And on several different occasions I’ve missed the Alaska trip. When I worked with Joe Cocker, when I joined, they had just gone. When I worked with The Supremes, they had gone. When I worked with Stevie Wonder, he had gone. I just kept missing my chance to go to Alaska. So I am overjoyed and thrilled to be going to Juneau, Alaska.”
Laurence was the lead and backing vocalist for The Supremes from late 1971 through 1973. She replaced former Supreme Cindy Birdsong. Laurence said her big break came as a featured background vocalist on Stevie Wonder’s hit “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours.” She said it’s because of Wonder that she became a member of The Supremes.
The Supremes 1972. From left to right: Mary Wilson, Jean Terrell and Lynda Laurence. (Photo courtesy of the Eric Iversen collection)
“This was a step up, for sure, for me, because I came out of the background and into the forefront which was really a wonderful thing for me,” she said.
The Supremes singled with “Bad Weather,” which was written and produced by Stevie Wonder. Laurence is featured on the cover of their 1972 “Floy Joy” album and recorded the critically acclaimed 1973 album “The Supremes, Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb.”
Laurence said her family has always been centered around music. Her father Ira Tucker was the lead singer of the Dixie Hummingbirds. Laurence said her mother sent her to vocal school at three years old.
“My mother said that she fell asleep and she had a dream,” she said. “And she saw me singing on top of the Empire State Building they had in New York.”
“She said she saw me at the top singing. And so the next morning she got up and she said, ‘Lynda, can you sing?’ And I said to her, ‘Put me on the kitchen table.’ So she put me on the kitchen table and I started singing my father’s songs, and she couldn’t believe it.”
Laurence said the trio will wear gowns and encouraged Juneau to dress up on the dance floor for the occasion. She added it’s because of their fans that FLOS has continued and said she looks forward to connecting with the audience in Juneau.
It was because of Scherrie Payne’s affiliation with The Holland Brothers and Lamont Dozier that she then became a member of The Supremes in 1973.
“It was fantastic,” she said. “I was born and raised in Detroit. So I grew up with The Supremes. I’ll be 80 in November so I’m the same age as Diana Ross and the late Mary Wilson. I saw them when they first started and before they even had their first big hit; they just had little local records and I saw them a couple of times at various venues or the park. So when they hit big, I never dreamt that I one day too would be a part of that group. And I ended up touring with Diana — Lynda and I both — for her 2000 ‘Return to Love’ tour.”
Payne was originally discovered by Motown producer and writer Eddie Holland.
She signed with Holland’s label, Invictus, and fronted their act, Glass House, who charted with the single Payne wrote titled “Crumbs Off the Table.”
“I was just writing lyrics,” she said. “I would get down on my piano and I had a farfisa organ. I’d go down to the basement and I’d just start playing away and writing. Never knowing that one day somebody would hear my songs and want to record any of my songs. So I’m really proud of that.”
Payne was the lead vocalist from 1973 to 1977 on the three final Supremes’ LPs — “He’s My Man,” “I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking,” “You’re My Driving Wheel” and “Let Yourself Go.” She is officially recognized as the act’s final lead vocalist and is known for being “The Little Lady with the Big Voice.”
The Supremes 1974. From left to right: Scherrie Payne, Cindy Birdsong and Mary Wilson. (Photo courtesy of the Eric Iversen collection)
“There was so many thousands of girls who would have loved to have been in my shoes,” she said. “But I guess it was destined for me. And I’m just so proud of that and I’m just thankful. I thank God on a daily basis.”
After The Supremes disbanded, Payne began writing screenplays. She’s written 20 screenplays, four stage plays and two musicals. She’s currently working on a stage play titled “Welcome to the Waiting Room” and two more screenplays: “Just Another Ordinary Day in Paradise” and “Ramblings of a Mad Woman.”
On Aug. 10, Juneau will hear songs from The Supremes and something to honor Joyce Vincent, Payne said.
Vincent is most recognized as one of the original members of the renowned “Tony Orlando and Dawn.” Before that, she was in a teen group called “The Debonaires” which was recently inducted into the Detroit Hall of Fame.
She said although Motown decided not to have her replace Wilson and disbanded the group, performing more than 30 years later with FLOS is “almost like it was in the stars.”
“The chemistry is fabulous,” she said. “It’s wonderful. It’s like, we just meld it together. That’s a good chemistry. So I’m looking forward to coming back to Juneau because the last time we were there, it was just so wonderful.”
Payne gave advice to young and upcoming artists in Alaska and everywhere.
“Don’t give up on your dream,” she said. “That’s what I tell everybody. Don’t give up. I mean, it’s easy to say, ‘Don’t give up.’ But you never know, when that dream just might come true. There’s always tomorrow.”
Tickets can be bought on Eventbrite now.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz.garrett@juneauempire.com or (907) 723-9356.
The Motown Supremes 1964-1977. Top row from left to right: Florence Ballard, Scherrie Payne, Diana Ross and Susaye Greene. Bottom row from left to right: Lynda Laurence, Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong and Jean Terrell. (Photo courtesy of the Eric Iversen collection)
